Crystal Clear

1. They are more sanitary than toilet paper
2. They use less water than what is used to manufacture toilet paper (okay, I probably knew that)
3. They are popular around the world except in North America
4. You can get an attachment for your existing toilet for $100 US

(http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4948)

Washing with water vs. wiping with dry paper. We know paper doesn’t work for babies (that’s why we have wet wipes) so why do we think it works for kids and adults?

Check out the Blue Bidet for more details and health benefits. Alternatively, you could consider using a diaper sprayer to achieve the same effect, like a friend of mine does.

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What do you have left when the bottom of your world drops out?

Friends can help. And you can dig deep into yourself and reserves of strength there.

But what if even those let you down?

When I doodled on this during a dark time (doodling helps me to get my thoughts and feelings out) at the very bottom, I found something to believe in.

After being unable to believe in myself or in my friends, I found:

1. I believe there is going to be a good ending when it’s all over
2. I believe I have a companion along the way
3. I believe I am loved

So that’s what’s at the bedrock – loved by God, the creator of the universe; his Spirit with me; and his good plan that will come about in the end.

Which is pretty close to the early Christian church’s mantra: Christ has died [out of love], Christ has risen [so his Spirit can be poured out], Christ will come again [good plan].

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A few years ago (2007) the CBC did a story on the regulations on food products and how product of Canada could mean only 51 percent of the ingredients and production were Canadian.

So, that ‘fact’ was stuck in my head.

I was looking today for some labeling regulations for another product (ingredient of ‘white whole wheat flour’ – what does that mean?) and read the regulations for Product of Canada.

A food product may claim Product of Canada when all or virtually all major ingredients, processing, and labour used to make the food product are Canadian. This means that all significant ingredients are Canadian and non-Canadian material must be negligible… Generally, the percentage referred to as very little or minor is considered to be less than a total of 2 per cent of the product. (Canada Food Inspection Agency)

So, that’s pretty good! Product of Canada means ingredients and processing done in Canada. Yay! I’m glad to have my mind’s facts changed on this!

On another note, Imported by or Imported for which a Canadian address / company tell you virtually  nothing about country of origin. Hopefully that too will change and we’ll know where all our food comes from.

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I was doing some math today with some stats I was given on net worth in the US.

If all the households in the US with a net worth of at least 1 million donated just 0.01% of that to fight poverty and other charitable activities, an additional 2.3 billion dollars would be available.

Just 0.01% goes a long way.

If these same households gave 1% that would be 234 billion dollars! That would go even further.

(If your net worth is 10 million, and you gave 1%, that means you’d still have 9.9 million left. Seems like enough to keep to me.)

Enormous untapped resources. Enormous. (And I haven’t even added in the giving of 1% or 0.1% of those under 1 million. Little bits from many adds up too.)

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Great video on climate change, and how the positive feedback mechanism could take us from a short man made adjustment to huge temperature changes out of our control.

It also explains the ice age / habitable continuum well, in my opinion.

It’s cute and tells a good message – it’s not inevitable if we act soon / now!

Wake Up, Freak Out – then Get a Grip from Leo Murray on Vimeo.

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I’m reading Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller. Three points struck me so far:

1. We are all evil inside. I agree with him wholeheartedly but have a hard time accepting this. Do I have inside me the same evil that would force children to become soliders or would rape women in the Congo? I don’t want to say yes. I fight it, but I am the same as all other humans: that same darkness does live deep inside me.
2. Grace and forgiveness is a gift, and that’s hard to accept. He said some people don’t have a problem accepting this free gift from God, but many of us do. We say we accept it, but then we work hard to live up to it (to be worthy of receiving it) or we feel guilty when do bad things or are ungrateful. Both are indicators that we haven’t fully understood that God just loves and accepts us. Just the way we are. Fully and completely with all our problems. Loves us through and through.
3. God is a mystery. He’s affirming what our Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters have always treasured. This speaks to me as I’m not the logical, provable type of person. I feel comforted by the mystery and mystical about God and my faith in him. So, it’s good to hear there are other Western Christians okay with and needing the mystery of God.

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